The Lost Year
by mistamie
Summary: Al and Scorpius, best friends  or maybe something more , discover a book written by a former Hogwarts student, and according to that student, neither of them should be alive, the 8th and final year of Harry Potter full of secrets.  Al/Scorp. Past Drarry
1. Prologue

**This is my first HP fanfic. And already, slash. No Mpreg, rating subject to change (idk, probably not.) **Albus/Scorpius. **Past Drarry.**

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><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong>_

The door closed with a slam, the blonde haired boy forgetting the rules and manners of the Malfoy household in his eagerness to share with his parents the new friend he'd met at the park.

"Scorpius Malfoy, what have we told you about slamming doors in this h—" Astoria let the magicked dish rag fall into the sink as she turned away to reprimand her only son as he ran into the kitchen, his small shoes covered in mud from the rain earlier in the day, and tracking it across the clean floor.

"Mum! Mum! I made a friend at the park!" Her boy looked up at her, thin, pale face lit up with childish joy, and she felt the reprimand die on her lips. She crouched down as he hopped up and down, nodding for him to go on. "And he actually wants to see me again!"

At that she was taken aback. While she loved Scorpius to death, no one else seemed to be able to stand the intense boy for more than an hour, his blunt sarcasm a hard mask to crack. Much like his father, she noted. He didn't really have friends, the playmates at the park avoiding him after the first couple of days. In fact, that was why she was surprised that he'd asked to go to the park this morning, because at night he usually trudged home, sniffling, upset over being excluded, running into her arms. Draco didn't help, telling him that they were just muggles anyway. How was an eight year old supposed to understand that?

"Really? What's his name, Scorpius?" She took his little hands, trying to get him to calm down enough to talk quieter, so she would have a better chance of understanding him.

"Um…well, I guess I had so much fun, I forgot to ask. I didn't tell him my name either, but that doesn't matter! He told me to meet him after school! What school does he go to? How come I don't go to school?" Astoria felt sadness creep on her. School. A muggle. Or, if they were lucky, Scorpius had found a muggleborn, but she doubted it, and that still wasn't the approved playmate that Draco wanted for his son. And if it were a muggle, Scorpius would have to end the friendship eventually, whether by going away to school, or by his father's orders. Draco wasn't the most…down to earth with such things as childhood friendships.

"Well, sweetie, he's probably a muggle, and goes to muggle school. You'll go to Hogwarts in three or four years, just like Mummy and Daddy did."

"Will he go too?" The look of hope was too overwhelming for Astoria to crush.

"We'll see, love, we'll see. Why don't we go wash up, and wait to tell Daddy until Mummy has a chance to talk to him, 'k?"

Later that night, after Scorpius had been sent up to bed, Astoria sat with a cup of tea in the drawing room near the fire while Draco sat in an armchair, working on paperwork for the potions certification of his latest apprentice.

"What was Scorpius banging around today about? I found him running down the halls with some strange toy in his hand. Called it an "aeroplane". It's a muggle child's toy, I'm sure." Draco didn't look up as he coldly addressed his wife.

Astoria stiffened, then sighed, turning away from her book on great Slytherin witches. She'd hoped to let Scorpius' happiness last a little longer. She was sure Draco wouldn't approve of anything less than some pureblood or nearly pure Slytherin child

"It's just a little playmate, Draco. I just wanted him to have a chance at friendship for once."

Draco sat up a little, although not looking up, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "He seems to not even get along with the children of my old classmates, but he finally makes some sort of friend, and they're muggle? I don't approve, but the child needs someone his own age for once. Merlin knows I needed one at that age. Then again, my father was a bit of a bastard. Fine, but don't let him get _too_ attached. And I don't want the other boy over here. I'll let this go for now."

Astoria blinked, then looked down at her book again, her long brown hair hiding her small smile. Whether Draco wanted to admit it or not, he loved Scorpius and wanted his little one to be happy.

Days passed, and each day, Scorpius became even more cheerful than the last. His cheeks grew rosy in a way Astoria had never seen, and she smiled, sending silent thanks to the little boy who was the cause of all this.

Draco noticed as well, and one day walked past his child's playroom to see him coloring with a box of muggle things called crayons. He walked in, slightly curious, and reached down for the parchment; only to truly see what was on the page. Scorpius looked up at his father right in front of him.

"Oh, Father, I didn't see you!" He pulled the sheet to his chest, but Draco held out his hand. Scorpius reluctantly gave it up.

Draco spun the paper around to face him. There, on a crudely drawn broomstick, and in red and gold, were two people, one with blonde hair, and the other with black hair. Both were smiling, and there was a gold circle near the black haired boy. "Scorpius, what is this?"

"Well, Al said something about his ad being on the Gryffindor Quidditch team when he was in school, so yesterday we played "Gryffindor seekers". Al's really proud of his Da, and his brother's going off to Hogwarts next year…"

"Wait, this boy in the park, he knows about Hogwarts? Then why does he go to Muggle School and play with…" Draco fell silent, very confused. Could it be that Scorpius had made another friend, this one a wizard? No, the few times Scorpius had ever mentioned his friend, it had been about "Al". "Scorpius Malfoy, have you been telling this boy about the Wizarding world?" Draco would have to file a report to the ministry about the muggle interaction, put them on warning, everyone would have to be interviewed, the muggle boy told it was all make believe…

"Well, he brought it up first, so I thought it was okay…he was telling me about how his brother was being homeschooled by his aunt this year to prepare for Hogwarts next year, and I said that I had to wait three years. He grinned at me and said that he just _knew _I had been a wizard too, but he didn't know how to ask."

Draco now was puzzled. What wizarding child was sent to Muggle School? Or, should he put it, what _non-muggle born_ wizard child would go to muggle school?

"…And tomorrow, since he doesn't have Muggle School, he said his Da was taking his little sister and him to the park all day. Said his dad wanted to meet me. Can you come and meet Al?" Scorpius was now looking up at his father, an expectant look coming over his face. Draco, now honestly curious as to who this was, gave his son a rare smile, running a hand over the bleach blonde hair which was jutting out in all directions. He'd have to show Scorpius how to smooth it back soon. He remembered his mother's spelled hair treatment from his boyhood.

"Sure, Scorpius. I'd be glad to meet this Al and his father." He stopped when he was hugged tightly. He smiled again, wrapping his arms around his boy, an unusual close moment being exchanged.

Draco tried with everything in his power not to be the father Lucius had been. He told Scorpius when he approved, and told him when he disapproved. He smiled at times, and allowed hugs, and on special occasions, a kiss on the forehead. Hair ruffling was a calming method, one that he'd found to soothe the boy. He loved Scorpius more than…well, life itself. And he tried to minimize the coldness that was Malfoy manor, even moving down the street, the oppressive house holding too many bad memories. The Malfoy family was the warmest it had been in over a hundred years, which was saying something.

So, the following morning, around ten, Malfoy was holding his son's hand as he was practically dragged to the park. Scorpius was so excited, his little legs walking as fast as he possibly could go. Draco tried not to laugh, his boy the only one to bring out his genuine personality, no sarcasm in his laughter as he found he could no longer contain it.

Sure, Draco had contemplated his offer to go with his son afterword. What if the father recognized him only as a former Death Eater? Would he ruin his son's only friendship? Scorpius had no idea of what his father had done, Draco had always been sure to not let him know anything about the second wizard war besides the fact that Da had made mistakes, but in the end, the side of good won, and a very bad man was killed. Would meeting the father…be bad?

But then, Draco had reasoned, even if he never met the father, there would eventually be a moment of enlightenment on Scorpius' lineage, and it would be all over anyway. Better now before the attachments got painfully strong.

They got to the park after another five minutes, and Draco groaned at the sight of all the muggles and their offspring playing. Mothers looked over at the man and his son, some remarking on how sweet they were together. Scorpius chatted along for a while, pulling him this way and that, before letting go of his hand completely and running off.

Draco quickly followed, watching as his son ran up to a young boy with slightly curly dark brown hair who looked eerily familiar in a way he couldn't quite place. That was when the boy turned around, and called out for his father. Draco came up behind Scorpius and looked up to see the other man come around the corner with a small girl in his arms.

Both stopped dead, simply staring at each other.

Harry was the first to break the silence, "Well, long time no see, Malfoy. Is this your boy?" He held out his hand, which after a moment, Draco took, his eyes not meeting that of the Gryffindor.

"Hello Potter, this is my son, Scorpius. This, I would take it, would be your offspring?" The cold facial expression went unnoticed by the children, the red headed girl in Harry's arms tugging her father's sleeve to be put down.

"All right, Lily, there. Yes, this is Albus, and the red headed nuisance is my youngest, Lily. James is at the house, his Aunt Hermione quizzing him on Dragons or something." There, there was that stupid grin. How dare he act like nothing…oh, right. Thirteen years was a long time. Draco nodded, looking down at the two eight year olds who were giggling about three feet away.

"C'mon, Scorp! I wanna go on the swings!"

"But there are already…hey, Al, wait up! Ugh, you always do this!" His boy laughed, something he'd never heard from the boy when he was with other children.

A chord vibrated painfully in his chest. "I never expected it to be your son that Scorpius befriended at the park." He watched as Lily ran after her older brother and his blonde friend. "I thought it was a muggle boy, to be honest, with all the talk of Muggle School and aeroplanes." Harry moved to sit down on a bench, and Draco reluctantly sat down, careful to put as much distance between them as possible.

Harry chuckled, and once again, Draco's heart ached. "Gin and I thought it a good idea to put them through Muggle School, give them an education of both worlds, a better understanding of their classmates who're muggle born." Watching Scorpius and Albus across the playground, Draco noticed how close the two boys were. They fought for a swing, tussling in the wood-chips. Lily walked over and sat in it while they were occupied with their bout, to both's chagrin when they had finally dusted themselves off.

"So, I see you did end up naming them after people. Al would be Albus, I'm guessing. James and Lily pretty self explanatory."

_If I ever have kids, I'll name them after my parents. Little James and Lily Potter._

Draco brushed away the voice from the past, watching his boy's face change into one of true happiness.

The pause that followed in the conversation was awkward. With all the history the two men shared, it was a wonder they could even sit on the bench together, let alone hold a conversation. Draco wouldn't hold it against Harry if he didn't answer at all. But, Potter being Potter, he simply had zoned out, responding quickly after a moment.

" Oh, yes, Albus Severus." Harry ran a hand through his hair, looking up into the sky with half lidded eyes. "He's worried about being in Slytherin because of his middle name. Good boy, he is. Though he can be wily at times. I wouldn't be surprised."

Draco looked over at the other man, puzzled. "And you wouldn't disown him for not dressing in the old family red and gold?"

"Why should I? Some of the best people I've ever known were Slytherins. Severus and…" Draco sat up for a moment, his eyes flashing with interest. "Huh, well, Snape and others, I guess."

Draco tried ignoring the disappointment and the dagger that had pierced his heart, and instead turned to his son.

"And I'll be the Minister of Magic, and you could be my underling, Scorp!"

"Al, I'm sorry, but I think you need to be smart to do that." Albus frowned, shooting back retort that he got A's on his Math tests. Harry laughed next to him, and Draco winced at the sound. How much longer could he take this?

"He's got your sarcasm, all right. Well, I better check up on Lily, nice talking to you." Draco nodded, before getting up to tell Scorpius he had to head home to do some work, and that Scorpius needed to be home for lunch in an hour.

As he walked home, the pain heavy in his heart, Draco didn't realize that Harry Potter felt a dull ache in his as well, though couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

Draco stormed into the house, ignoring his wife's call of how it went, and slammed the door to his study. He sunk into an armchair, cradling his head in his hands, his hair draping down. He couldn't hold the memories back as they began to break all the barriers he'd put up over the years.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Reviews make my day!<strong>

**I usually have a fun fact (Most are historically based, some kinda gross. Feel free to comment on them.)**

**Fun fact: Small pox is the only eradicated disease through intense vaccinations, and only survives in a few vials in two science research facilities, one in the United States, the other in the former USSR, and there were multiple times when there was lobbying to get rid of them, although it was decided to save them in the end. The Russian vials disappeared during the USSR's collapse and haven't resurfaced. The United States, after 9/11, stockpiled enough vaccinations for their entire populations, fearing biological warfare. Nothing has ever come to pass, though, and the vials may simply have been destroyed in the upheaval.**


	2. Sorting

**Sorry this took so long for me to get out. I always try to research different aspects of Harry Potter to make sure as to make no mistakes (to try not to anyway). I also looked into the different characters and tried to develop them some. This is the 'intro' chapter to Hogwarts, and the story will truly begin next chapter. **

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><p>Albus and Scorpius walked down Diagon Alley together, their parents off school shopping for the boys. It was nice to get away from them for once, and Albus' dad had given them money to buy a treat at Albus' Uncle George's shop, but only if they could handle whatever they brought back. Albus, having grown up in the Weasley family, understood. No more of Uncle George's "specials" of the day.<p>

Scorpius looked up at the store front, and smiled, thinking of how his father never would have let him in this place, full of 'blood traitors' and 'fun'. His dad was full of hot air, though, seeing as Scorpius practically was part of the Potter family by now, over at their house every weekend. Albus really wasn't allowed into his house, but he'd come over a few times when his father's job had called him away on trips.

"You ready, Scorp? It's a mad house in there right now, all those kids stockpiling on those candies that make you sick for class and fireworks. Just making sure, you know, that you're not scared or nervous." Albus gave Scorpius a face of mock concern, and the blond jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

They had only taken a few steps when a missile soared out from the noisy shop, heading for where the two of them stood, Scorpius pulling them out of the way in time. "Are you ready, Al? You seem a little slow today."

Albus snorted, ignoring the comment his best friend made. "C'mon! We have to be back in an hour to meet up with our parents before they actually spend to much time together and start into those really awkward, embarrassing conversations."

After three years, the boys were excited to head off to Hogwarts for their first year. They'd been having long conversations over the past summer about what Hogwarts was going to like. Albus always had some new thought from his brother or some story from his parents that would spur on excited words at sleepovers, and Scorpius would be the sensible one who'd try to imagine what classes they'd be taking, who they'd meet.

Scorpius wasn't looking forward to having to interact with all his father's old classmate's kids, the brats annoyed him more than he'd like to let on. Not that his personality helped.

They all were very pure blood and very proud of it. Surprisingly enough, Scorpius never really had heard his father talk much about pureblood superiority, although Scorpius knew his family was pure. In fact, it always seemed his dad put up an act, a show, to appear like a Slytherin. He'd talk with Albus' aunt when they met in the streets though, and she was muggleborn, and although Draco had been in the war on the wrong side, he'd always concede he was wrong, and that he'd followed in the family occupation of stupidity.

Albus, on the other hand, was worried about being in Slytherin, but also about not getting into the same house as Scorpius, who was expected to follow his family roots into the green and silver house. Scorpius had assured him plenty that they still would be friends even if they got separated. They would work around it.

They walked through the joke store warily, watching for any more projectiles. Weaving back and forth between other children, they came upon the prank section, and started looking over the different weapons in George Weasley's arsenal.

"Oh, that one, the Jibber-sweeties! That's a good one Al, makes whoever eats it rant uncontrollably in gibberish at your command. Good for getting at rivals, very embarrassing. Newly perfected!" The two turned around to see a tall, thin man with a mop of red hair.

"Who in the family did you test it on, Uncle George?" Albus hugged his uncle in greeting, and Scorpius shook his hand, picking up the wrapped up package the red haired man had pointed to.

"Why, none other than Fred, your cousin. He ended up getting a date with that vixen anyway, sly as his namesake… " George stopped for a moment, looking to his left as though someone should have been standing there, before sighing sadly. He then cleared his throat, his smile returning. "Your cousin certainly is a ladies man. Soon, James will be right up there, that handsome prat he is. Quidditch star before he stepped foot into Hogwarts. Scorpius, will you try out for a Quidditch team spot when you're old enough? Your father was a Slytherin seeker in his day, not a bad one at that."

Scorpius looked up at the man, surprise evident on his face. "I didn't know that, he never talks about it." It always was a little awkward to talk about his father around the Weasleys, who had, after three years of Scorpius attending every birthday party and event, come to like the boy more than they'd admit, although his father was still an unwelcome figure. George was pretty forgiving, though, or if talking about Draco bothered him, he didn't show it.

"Wonder why, he made a big deal about it back in the day. Anyways, take the Jibber-sweeties, on the house!" They thanked him, and smiling, made off with their loot, also picking up some candy from the store next door before heading to the place they'd meet their parents at.

"He gave it to us for free, think it's perfected?"

"Wouldn't bet my life on it, Al. Oh, watch, your chocolate frog!"

Albus caught the frog, eating it quickly before flipping over the card. "Hey, this one has my dad on it!" He handed the card over to Scorpius, who saw the likeness of Harry Potter at about age 17. Turning it around, he read the back.

"So he's head Auror now?"

"Yeah. Last week he got the promotion, but it doesn't come into effect until next month, the last guy still is cleaning out the office of all his wards he's put on. The one concealing his porn collection is proving difficult, Da has had to help him."

They both started to chuckle. At the sight of Draco's parents coming out of a robe store, they swerved to the left to meet them. Scorpius's mother looked radiant holding a plain pair of robes, along with books and other things her son would be packing away in about two or three days, while Draco looked serious, cautious, and most of all, determined. He wanted to leave Diagon Alley, and his face showed it.

As his mother greeted Albus warmly, they stood under the sign of Ollivanders', although Draco wasn't allowed into the shop itself and the others in the family weren't either unless accompanied by an Auror or magical probationer, due to the Malfoy family's involvement with Garrick Ollivander's imprisonment. Which meant that both the Potters and Malfoys were going shopping together for wands.

As they entered, Scorpius' father waiting outside, they were greeted by an old man, one that Harry greeted warmly in return, shaking his hand, showing Albus to him. Scorpius remained behind with his mother, unsure how the man would react to him.

He knew how much he looked like his father, getting glares from people or being refused service every once and awhile at shops and stores. He had been told the story of his father's bad deeds during the war, but he respected him for trying to combat his bad reputation and to try and make life as normal as possible since the family's brief imprisonment, trial, and probation. But here was a man who'd been kept in the old Malfoy manner and tortured and beaten for two years. Nineteen years weren't enough for other people, would they be enough for this man to start forgiving?

"Ah, this wand, I think. No? Maybe this one." Old Ollivander tried wand after wand with Albus, who knocked things down, blew papers everywhere, and broke his father's glasses trying to use the different wands. Finally he found a twelve inch hawthorn wand, and when he grabbed it, the tip began to glow, shining light all around the shop before calming and fading away. Congratulating their son, Harry and Ginny moved aside for Astoria and Scorpius to step forward.

"Ah, the youngest Malfoy come for his wand. I remember both of your parents." And after looked down at Scorpius for a moment, then up at the man leaning against the window outside who had the back of his pale head of hair facing them, Ollivander said no more and turned to get a box from the wall.

After Scorpius got his eleven and a quarter vine wand, the families set out.

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><p>"Hey, Scorp?" Albus sat hunched down in his seat as the train chugged on through the countryside, his cousin Rose sitting next to them, reading an old copy of <em>Hogwarts,<em>_A __History_ like her mother had all those years ago.

"Hmm?" Scorpius was drawing a hippogriff in the corner of his charms textbook section on levitation. He shifted in his robes, and then looked up. "You want to talk _again_ about the fact you might be in Slytherin? You realize that would mean we'd be in the same house, right? That it wouldn't be all that bad considering your brother is already a Gryffindor, and your sister is a shoo-in? It would be nothing like if I got put in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, my dad would flip."

"Well, yeah, that was part of it, but I also was wondering why your da doesn't hug or kiss your mum a lot. He seemed really distant seeing you off. And whenever I see them together, they're never really…together. I don't know, I guess I just only really started to notice it during the Diagon trip and at the station. What do you think, Rosie?" She had started hanging out with them after Albus' ninth birthday party, and after a brief period spent in vain of trying to get rid of her, they'd accepted her and her practicality into their group.

"I get what you mean, there isn't much "PDA" like with our parents. But you have to remember, it simply could be the general atmosphere of the Malfoy household; that by genetics, they just are cold people. Scorpius, what say you?"

Scorpius gave Rose a look. "Well, _thanks,_Rosie, you made my family sound really cheery."

"Glad to, I didn't realize it was that bad." Scorpius and Albus exchanged looks.

Scorpius sighed, "My father and mother just…I don't know, sometimes it seems like they married for business reasons, not for love. Dad is all for work and Mum is all for keeping up the house, and both of them only come in to contact really about me." Scorpius never would have told anyone but Albus this (and by age and association and relation, Rose), knowing Albus had only asked out of curiosity, and that neither would never speak of this to anyone.

"But your father clearly cares about you, correct? He seemed very kind to you at the train station," Rosie added in, her nose still in the book.

"My dad, he hugs me and stuff…well, I know he cares about me, and my mum, you know her, always willing to sneak Albus over when Dad is away and take care of everything. I just think …well, I don't know what to think about their marriage besides the fact that I want to be with someone I love for the rest of my life, that I don't want to have what my parents have, even if I'm poor and married to a muggle who hates magic."

"A muggle that hates magic? Very imaginative, Scorp. I would have said 'to a woman who has a face like a thestral and a body of a mandrake, but I get you. I want what my parents have."

Scorpius looked at Albus, who seemed very smug at his picture of a horrible spouse, and after registering the fact that muggles in Albus' mind wasn't the end of the world, he shot back "if she had a face of a thestral, wouldn't you believe you were marrying a headless mandrake? It would be very hard to snog a woman you can't see. Maybe if you killed her first, it would be easier to love, although a mandrake body would turn anyone off."

"Oh, shut up Scorpius! I bet a can get a girl before you ever do!" Albus' temper flared, and he stood up. Scorpius simply laughed.

"Albus, you let everything and everything get to you! And Al, no offense, but you. are. eleven. No 'stud muffin' like in those weird muggle 'movies' you make me watch. James is already eliciting looks from the girls due to his Quidditch career, while you haven't even started developing muscle tone or a reputation. Give it a couple of years, Al. Then we'll make that bet." Scorpius stretched, and then pulled some coins out of his pocket, hearing the trolley making its way down the hall.

Albus' face turned red, his brother a sore point. "At least I don't get mistaken for a girl!"

Scorpius sputtered, and stood up as well, his hands balled in fists. "I told you never to talk about that! That was one time!"

"Well, and comparing me to my brother all the time doesn't help either!"

They lunged at each other, wands raised, both about to shout out spells, things neither of them had cast before, when a shout of _Impedimenta!_interrupted them, slowing both of them to almost a standstill. They watched as Rose waved her wand, sending both of them to the left side of the compartment, and forcing them to either end of the booth. She then tsked, having not even looked up from her book before turning the page.

The two fumed, and bought their treats without much comment, but after awhile, Scorpius ate an every-flavor bean and his face twisted before he spat it out into his hand.

"Oh, what you get?" Albus forgot his anger, and Scorpius looked up at him, his grimace from the bean still on his face.

"Vomit. Sure of it. Makes me want to vomit. How do you always get the good ones?"

"That spell aunt Hermione taught me."

Rose waved her wand once again, and muttered "Accio-" the rest lost in the protests of the two boys as the open box in Scorpius' hand was pulled away, Albus having been about to take one. "Yes, she developed the spell while pregnant with me. Apparently, she craved these beans so much, but was having trouble getting normal ones that she came up with it. Now she can't stand the beans, but I love them."

"Rosie, I bought you your own box! See? Now c'mon, give it back!"

As the train pulled up and the first years got into boats, Scorpius helping Rose in, Albus hopped in after her, almost overturning them. Scorpius and Rose scolded him, although Rose had a smile on her face and Scorpius was trying not to laugh.

They waited to start off, and Albus looked down at his hands. "Scorp, I'm sorry for calling you girly and saying you couldn't get a girl."

Scorpius patted him on the shoulder, "yeah, I'm sorry for being really sarcastic and mentioning _him_. I guess it's just the tension of sorting, right?"

"Yeah, whatever happens, we'll stick together, right? Even if we make new friends." Albus slung his arm over Scorpius' shoulder and Rose's, and leaned back.

"Yes, yes. Do you think that I might be put in Ravenclaw? That would be a deviation from the norm, considering my genetics." Rose turned a page of a different book, one pocket sized to fit in her robes, her other larger books stored in her luggage.

"That wouldn't be a surprise to anyone Rosie. What would be a surprise would be Scorp in Hufflepuff." They all chuckled. "Imagine a Malfoy not in Slytherin!

"You never know, boys."

Albus scoffed. "Whatever, Rosie. I bet you three boxes of beans he'll follow after his parents."

"Stop betting on me!" Scorpius playfully punched Albus in the shoulder, although he was happy Albus wasn't pessimistically going on and on about disappointing someone when he got sorted.

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><p>It was another hour until they were marched into the great hall.<p>

They waited in line, but before long they heard Rose's name called out, and she went up to be sorted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Wow, thought she'd be in Ravenclaw for sure!" Albus stuffed his hands into his robes, now even more impatient to find out his fate.

"Albus, you know they have to put some intelligent people in Gryffindor so they at least have some chance in the house cup." Albus glared at his pale friend.

"Shut up, Scorp, Gryffindors can be smart!"

"Albus Severus Potter!" The both of them looked up, and Albus quickly grabbed Scorpius' hand, his eyes wide.

"It'll be all right, no matter what happens," Scorpius told him quietly, and gave him a little push. Albus walked hesitantly to the stool, remembering the comment his father had made about how the Sorting Hat taking into account one's own wishes, and then the Sorting Hat was on his head.

_Ah, another Potter. This one should be an easy sort if he doesn't have anything to say like his father did._

Albus stiffened. Here it came. It was now or never, if he didn't say anything, he and Scorpius would be separated.

"Please," he whispered quietly, "put me with my friend."

_Mr. Malfoy I presume? Very curious to be friends with the son of your father's old rival. Would you want to stick with him even if it meant isolation, humiliation, not being where you belonged? Are you sure this friendship will last?_

"I'd do anything for him, and he'd do the same. Please, you listened to my father!" He worked to keep his voice down.

_Ah, with your father, there was an ability to go different paths. Listen to you and possibly sort you improperly?_

"Wait!" But it wasn't heard over the Sorting Hat's shout.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

No. No. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Scorpius would go to Slytherin, and he'd go to Gryffindor and the two would never get to see each other much ever again. Scorpius would make Slytherin friends, and would hiss out some reason why they should never talk to each other again…

He sat down next to his brother and Rosie, managing a smile at the cheers around him, although he didn't feel much of anything about his new house. When Scorpius was called up, there was a few boo's which were quickly silenced.

Scorpius ignored them and sat expectantly on the stool, his pale face set in the traditional Malfoy mask, making it appear nothing was wrong, that all was going according to _his_ plan.

The Sorting Hat was placed on his head, and immediately he heard the voice that thousands had heard before, a voice unlike any other.

_Mr. Malfoy, these thoughts running through your head, they aren't for you, are they? I see you are thinking of ways to stay by your friend, Mr. Potter. How will you do that if you are in two different houses? What will happen if he makes other friends, friends closer to him than you are?_

"We'll be friends no matter where I'm placed. I just want him to be happy. I have to be strong for him. I'll try my best to get along with my house mates, and I hope he makes friends where he is."

_Hhmmm…interesting. I'd say, when you put it like that,…you are very loyal to your friends…a trait like that would put you in…_

"GRYFFINDOR!" Albus' eyes flew wide open, his face turning into one of joy. Scorpius' face showed as much surprise as everyone else.

There was a silence over everyone, but then Albus let out a cheer, along with Rosie and James. Following their example, the ones who didn't hold grudges against the Malfoys or didn't know who he was greeted him and gave him pats on the back.

Scorpius was too in shock to react until Headmistress McGonagall cleared her throat and made her customary speech, the feast beginning after she was done. Albus went on and on about how great this was, how he wasn't disappointing his parents (although he remembered the fact his dad didn't care and that the Sorting Hat had the right idea the whole time) and he got to be with Scorpius. Rose mentioned the fact that Albus owed her three boxes of beans, to which Albus groaned, trying to get out of it before promising to get her some the next time he could.

"What will my parents think?" was all Scorpius could get out before Albus dragged him away to the dormitories.

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><p><strong>There you go. I promise the story will pick up next chapter.<strong>

**Fun Fact: Nobility was so heavily dependent on servants in the 18th and 19th centuries that the tenth Duke of Marlborough once complained that his toothbrush wasn't foaming properly. Turns out, a servant always put the toothpaste on first, so he'd never realized it didn't recharge automatically. **


	3. Lover's Spat

**Well, better late than never. Here is the next chapter!**

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><p>"Why do we have to try out <em>again<em> every year? They know we're going to get on the team anyway, why make us spend a week pretending we're little second years all over again?" Albus threw his red uniform down on the bed, ignoring its sweaty state, and slung his broom over to the side of his bed, shoving it underneath.

Scorpius gave a short laugh. "And you're sure you're a Gryffindor? If we were in Slytherin, we could use our bloodlines and fame to get spots on the team, and keep our spots until we graduated. Wouldn't you like that?"

Albus gave him a glare as he turned away towards the shower, a towel around his waist. "Thanks, you're really helping."

"And isn't that what they do in muggle schools? You said something about try-outs for sports being every year in muggle school, if I remember cor-rect-ly."

They stepped into their dormitory shower area after a long and somewhat unneeded try-out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, seeing as Albus was a shoo-in for captain and Scorp, well, he was a bit irreplaceable.

Funny story, Albus remembered as he stepped into the shower stall, Scorpius on the other side, going about his shower in a quick, disciplined manner. Albus, on the other hand, loved standing under the hot water and thinking, but he usually didn't take much longer than Scorpius.

It had been the beginning of their second school year, and Albus was going to try out, seeing as his mother played professionally and his dad had been a prodigy seeker and his grandfather as well. He'd convinced Scorpius to do the same, so they could play next to each other. Both of them hadn't really expected for Scorp to make it, Albus being the one trained from birth to play almost any position on the field, so when the results came out, they couldn't believe it.

"_Seeker? Seeker! How did I get team seeker?" _

"_Well, the spot was open…hey look! I'm an outside chaser!"_

Two second years making the team had been a big deal, and it had been all uphill for them from then on. Albus was quick and agile, getting goals left and right, his lineage coming through. Scorpius had…had been surprisingly really good at what he did, his eagle eyes finding the snitch usually before the game had much time to play, causing the team to actually tell him to wait a few goals before going after the gold ball. His father had actually sent him the best broom available, and sent a letter telling his son that he was proud someone was showing that the Malfoys were still to be respected. Albus got a flood of letters of congrats as well, and his mother's professional broom, but knew that Scorpius' one letter meant more than all his put together.

After that, the two of them were the stars of the team, although, honestly, Scorpius was…better than him, if only slightly. Albus was just called the better player because he was more social and well liked.

He finally finished washing, and stepped out, his towel once again around his waist. Scorpius was already dressed and reading a book on improving one's seeker skills that Albus' father had given him for his birthday a couple of months ago. He lounged on the bed, his thin, bony fingers holding the book rather gracefully.

It always amazed Albus when he imagined Scorpius that first day at the park, his expression sad and lonely, sitting all by himself on the swings. He'd been so pale, he looked more like one of those ghostly wraiths than an eight year old, his hair hanging over his forehead, long so as to be slicked back. Now, to see him double that age, body long and thin, his face angular, his hair short and somewhat styled, the Gryffindor scarf around his neck, he'd sure come a long way.

Albus went to dress only to find Rose sitting on his bed, holding a magazine with a look of disgust, and he almost dropped his towel in surprise. "Rosie, why are you in here!"

She looked up at him, looking very much like his aunt for a moment, then shrugged. "You know there isn't a spell to block those of the opposite sex in the boy's dormitories like there is for the girls dorm. And may I ask why you have such a magazine in the upper left hand corner of your bottom dresser drawer?"

"So you think that warrants you to go through my stuff? You're just as bad as Lily, coming barging in here and all that!"

He pushed her off the bed, grabbing a set of clothes and shutting the curtains around the bedposts as a privacy shield.

"Told you he'd freak." Came a bored reply from Scorpius' general direction.

"But Scorpius, Aunt Gin and Uncle Harry wanted to know how he was getting on, he never writes them, so I thought I'd see for myself. You could only write them so much, being his best friend and all, that whole 'pact of secrecy' or whatever stupid thing you men have."

"I'm right HERE! Stop talking as if I'm not even here," Albus slipped his jumper over his head before stepping out from the curtain. He glared over at Scorpius, who's face was still behind the book. "And _you've been writing my parents?"_

"Unfortunately, yes, seeing as you _never_ write them, so they've finally resorted to me, although it usually is kind of awkward. Your mother wants to know of you've been eating enough, and your dad wants to know the newest prank and sometimes writes suggestions. It's only happened a few times. Seems they're about to try getting Lily to stalk you. Careful."

Albus sighed, and Rose nodded that Scorpius was correct before leaving, incinerating the dirty magazine without a word. "HEY!"

She simply looked at him. "Oh, poo-pooh. I'm going to play chess with Hugo."

Albus and Scorpius walked down to the Great Hall, Albus dictating a note to a floating piece of parchment for his parents as they headed for lunch.

"With Love, Albus. P.s., please don't set Lily on me, I promise to write more often."

"Yeah, like that's going to stop them. I bet you Lily has been—" Scorpius didn't even get to finish before he heard both of their names being called by a very familiar voice.

"Scorp! Albie! Guess what?" Everyone in the Great Hall parted to let the girl through, her temper one not to mess with. She halted in front of her brother and his best friend, and she had to stop herself from jumping up and down with excitement.

Albus, like a typical older brother, sighed. "What, Lil?"

She gave him a glare at his lack of enthusiasm, and instead turned to Scorpius, grabbing his hands in her own with excitement. He quickly tried to pull them away, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I found it!"

"What?"

"The Room of Requirement! I finally found it!" She pulled out the Marauder's Map, which James had stolen years ago from their father's desk, although either no one had noticed or no one mentioned it, and she pointed to an empty spot down the hallway from the classrooms, on the seventh floor, careful to hide the map between the three of them.

Both boys were excited by the news as well, although they were less reluctant to show it. They'd been looking for this for years, and now…now they would get to see the room that had burned during the invasion of Hogwarts, that might still have treasures hidden in it, and new ones added over the last twenty or more years.

"How did you find it?"

Lily thought about it for a moment. "Well, I was really hungry, and I didn't think I could wait until lunch, and I'd already missed breakfast, and then there was this room filled with all sorts of food! It was wonderful! It was only as I was walking away that I realized there was only a tapestry where the food room had been."

"Only you would be in need of food. You're more like Uncle Ron than you let on!" They all laughed, even Scorpius, happily surprising Albus. Scorp didn't laugh much, but Al loved to hear it when he did.

They talked about the room at lunch, discussing what to do. Could they ask for it to show all its treasures? Could it show them how the room looked when Dumbledore's Army was in it? The possibilities were endless!

Lily ran off to spend the rest of her day off with her other third year friends, and Albus and Scorpius went to check out if they could get into the room.

After a while of walking down the seventh floor corridor by the tapestries over and over again, Albus realized they needed to be in need of something to find the room. He turned to Scorpius with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Scorp, wanna play a game?" He shot a spell at Scorpius, which the other man dodged.

"What the hell was _that_? !" Scorpius turned to look at the spell as it hit the wall of the corridor.

"A cheering charm. You have to really want to get into that room or I'll keep sending the spells at you." Albus smiled impishly as Scorp glared at him. "Now, what was it? Three times back and forth in front of that tapestry? You better try hard!"

Scorpius sighed, but started to walk back and forth, willing the room to come. When it didn't, another burst of light came from Albus' wand, but this time Scorpius wasn't fast enough to dodge, and was hit. He immediately felt a surge of happiness in his body, and realized that Al wouldn't stop casting the cheering spell until they got into the room.

While one cheering charm wasn't the end of the world, Scorpius hated being forced to do anything, and hated his feelings being toyed with. What was worse, if one look at Albus at the moment wasn't enough, it was clear that this wasn't going to be the only charm being sent his way. How distasteful. Especially due to the fact they cause uncontrollable laughing fits. Most unseemly for a Malfoy to be caught like that.

So he tried again. Nothing, no door. He tried suggesting to Albus that they should come back later with Lily to try again later, but got another charm set on him. It was very confusing to want to strangle his best friend and feel the need to giggle at the same time. _'I am going to kill him when this wears off', _Scorpius was able to think before the synthetic contentment washed over him again.

"Al, why do I ha-have to be the one to do this? Shouldn't you-hoo try as well?" Scorpius felt himself beginning to smile, and strained to retain the classic Malfoy frown, but ended up failing.

"Cheer up, Scorp!" Another flash out of his wand, and Albus smiled even wider. "You really need to stop being so serious. Plus, I needed to get back at you for hiding all my clothes on me last week!"

"I just unpacked your sus-us-uitcase and put it away for you, it was such a muh-ess!"

Eventually, Scorpius was at his breaking point, laughing almost manically, running back and forth, his only thought was '_I need to get away from everyone until I can stop! I need to keep up my reputation! No! I need…!'_

He turned at the sound of activity coming from the wall, and saw the room appear right before his eyes. He bolted for it while Albus was too distracted, laughing sans the cheering charm, slamming the door behind him, hearing Al call after him.

His laughing eventually died away as the charm began to wear off, so Scorpius was able to process the room around him.

It was small, neat, and comfortable, and there was his favorite book on the lone table next to a lone couch with a warm fire in the fireplace. A place where he could get away, be alone. Just what he'd _required._

So, he went and read for a half an hour before finally coming out again, watching the room disappear behind him as Albus jumped out from behind a suit of armor he'd been waiting behind for Scorpius to come out.

"Hey, it's gone! Darn, I waited Merlin knows how long, and now…" Albus' pulse speed up as he caught the look of revenge on Scorpius' face.

"Hey, Al, wanna see if you can get in? I know how I can encourage you!" As Malfoy brandished his wand, Albus took off for the common room, running down steps, bumping into other students in his mad dash away from the bleach blonde boy following him with evil intent. He tried to escape down secret passages, but remembered too late that the both of them knew the Marauder's map like the back of their hands, and eventually just resorted to out running him.

He luckily did make it back to the common room first, practically tripping through the portrait hole in his hurry. People gawked as the two ran up the boy's dormitory steps, Albus in a state of panic, Scorpius grinning like the Cheshire cat, shooting charms after the black haired boy.

Lily burst out laughing from her place next to Hugo on one of the couches, and said as they went by "Look's like they're having a little lover's spat!", to which she, Hugo, and surprisingly, Rose, laughed at.

Albus, now cornered in his dorm, begged to differ, for this was no laughing matter. While he had more strength in his spells, more power, Scorpius had a mastery of spells and charms that would send anyone ducking for cover if they had to duel him, and now he was angry…

They ran back and forth, Scorpius barring off the only exit with a spell Albus didn't have time to counter, and so they hopped over beds and dodged spells, which had now changed from cheering charms to something more powerful. Picture frames were getting knocked over, sheets thrown everywhere, and then, they never were sure who cast the _Expulso _spell, but Scorpius' bed exploded, its frame cracking, and then bending into itself before disintegrating.

There was a silence after the deafening explosion, and the two of them stared at the black square where the bed used to be, the chest and surrounding furniture almost untouched if not for soot stains.

Albus started to nervously laugh. "Well, go ahead, fix it!"

Scorpius turned to look at him, his face one of shock and anger.

"What don't you understand? THE. BED. IS. GONE. WHERE WILL I SLEEP?" Albus shrugged, fearful of this outburst.

"I dunno, you could share my bed…" They both blushed at the sentiment, imagining it before they could stop themselves, but pushed it away as footsteps thumped up the stairs to their dorm.

There, in the doorway, was their headmistress. Her face was twisted into one of rage. Professor McGonagall motioned for both of them to follow her. They were in deep trouble.

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><p>"So, I'm to understand that this all started while you two ruffians tried to find the Room of Requirement?"<p>

"We did actually fi…yes. Yes, we got into a fight, and then the bed exploded and…"

"And you destroyed school property. Three weeks detention, and when you both make it onto the Quidditch team, as I'm sure you both will, one-week suspension. You better be grateful that I don't want Slytherin to win the cup this year with that new chaser of theirs, or else I would prohibit your participation in the first game of the season."

'_Gotta love house loyalty' _Albus thought.

"So, how will I get a new bed?" Scorpius was seriously worried McGonagall would be so mad that she would just leave him to sleep on the floor…or Albus' bed after the black haired boy fell asleep and wouldn't notice him get in (hey, he just didn't want to sleep on the floor and get aches in his back! No other reason!).

The headmistress grew thoughtful, then nodded to herself. "There is a spare bed that it available. We can finally find use for it after all these years."

"Why wasn't it being used?"

"The last person who slept in the bed was on one side considered a blood traitor and on the other a death eater. No one wanted to use it afterwards, but I don't think Scorpius will have a problem."

"And why wouldn't I?"

McGonagall gave Scorpius a little smile and a raised eyebrow.

"The last person to have the bed was your father."

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><p><strong>Ok, so the bed thing might not seem really important, but it is! I promise!<strong>

**Both _Expulso _and Cheering Charms exist, the first mentioned in the 7th book, the second in the 3rd, chapter 15. **

**Fun Fact: Syphilis, which Spaniards got from Native Americans, was called the Spanish disease when Italian women starting getting it from Spanish soldiers. It then went on to be the Italian disease, then the French Disease, then the British Disease, following where it was transmitted to. **


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